Independent regulator

What can we do?

There are no laws in Australia governing the safety of pet food. The United States, New Zealand and the European Union all have protections in place, but we’re lagging behind – and our pets are suffering.

The federal government knows that pet owners won’t stand for unsafe pet food any longer. That’s why a Senate Inquiry into the safety of pet food is underway. As this inquiry heats up, now is our opportunity to make sure the government fixes this industry for good.

We’ll use your stories and signatures in a powerful submission to the upcoming Senate Inquiry – it’ll be our best chance to make sure we get better regulations for our pets.

Why this campaign matters

Bailey, an otherwise healthy, six-year-old Labrador, was put down in February 2018 due to megaesophagus after eating suspected dodgy dog food.

What supporters are saying

Jason

Our pets are members of our family and deserve to have adequate protections for something as basic as their food.

Kylie

We put our trust into these products to be safe just as we do for human food, so safety standards for pet food makes sense.

FAQs

Currently, there are no laws governing pet food safety in Australia, only voluntary standards.

There has been a number of cases of consumption of pet food being linked to serious injury or death of Australian pets.

In March 2018, dog food product Advance Dermocare was recalled when it was linked with the condition megaesophagus. Over 100 dogs who consumed Advanced Dermocare were affected with the life-long condition, and it has been linked to the death of at least 17 dogs.

While we don’t know the full extent of the problem, greater regulation and oversight will help reveal this. In the past seven years, there have been at least three voluntary recalls of pet food products. These include:

◦ Advance Dermocare dog food (March 2018)

◦ Weruva BFF cat food (May 2017)

◦ Whiskas dry cat food (September 2013)

Looking for more information? CHOICE's health expert has written an article on pet food regulation, which looks at the state of pet food in Australia and who you can turn to if you think something is wrong.